Calling Elk Saskatchewan

scott_r

scott_r

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Im going to be hunting in less then a month for elk...Im ok taking a cow, satellite bull or herd bull...not picky. Can someone who has experience give me some tips on calling. These elk will more then likely be pressured but Im not afarid to walk miles and get in deep if need be. Wondering what I should start out with, how long to call for ect..

Cheers!!
 
Cow call is the way to go. Expect to use it to calm the elk down, not necessarily to call them in. I give a chirp whenever I have jumped an elk and hear them moving, it really helps improve your odds. You can move in to a herd this way, if you are careful to sound like an elk and not like a hunter. Silent clothing ( wool, fleece etc) soft sole shoes, and slow movements. Elk are very vocal. Call about as often as they talk to you.
 
Longwalker said:
Cow call is the way to go. Expect to use it to calm the elk down, not necessarily to call them in. I give a chirp whenever I have jumped an elk and hear them moving, it really helps improve your odds. You can move in to a herd this way, if you are careful to sound like an elk and not like a hunter. Silent clothing ( wool, fleece etc) soft sole shoes, and slow movements. Elk are very vocal. Call about as often as they talk to you.
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Thanks for the advice!!
 
scott_r said:
when using a cow call how many chirps do you typically let out and how long do you wait to do it again?
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I like to call 3 or 4 times every 15 minutes or so. When I call, I will face a different direction(or even down to the ground) for each call so that you sound more like herd of elk and not just one. You will get spike bulls and satellite bulls coming in to this call. Early in the season you may even get a mature bull to come in. Needless to say, if it is windy your odds go way down. Bulls like to call early in the morning. Get out an hour before sunrise and listen to where the herd is and then try to close the distance. If you have a herd bull calling there will almost always be satellite bulls around that are suckers for a cow call. Good luck and write a report if you get one!
 
I am in the same bot as the OP. I've hunted elk but don't have much calling experience, I bought a couple cow calls and a bugle call made by primos. YouTube has been extremely helpful with how to use them properly and how often to use them. Lots of good videos on there, I have been watching them while on the treadmill after work.. Provides motivation!!

Good luck to you all this coming season.
 
The crops are still standing where you are heading mate.
I ran through there on friday.

We keep getting damn rain and the farmers are getting
Behind, hopefully they can get some crop knocked
Down soon
 
Herd bull = bull that has established a harem of cows, usually they are mature and the strongest of the local bulls
Satellite bull = one of the lesser bulls that "orbits" the herd, hoping to breed a stray cow without getting beat up too often
Spike bull = poor lonely buggers who don't know why mama kicked him out, with raging hormones and no prospects for companionship. ( best meat!)
 
remyltr said:
The crops are still standing where you are heading mate.
I ran through there on friday.

We keep getting damn rain and the farmers are getting
Behind, hopefully they can get some crop knocked
Down soon
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Our farmers are still trying to hay, not a good omen.

Grizz
 
In my limited Saskatchewan forest fringe elk hunting experience, we heard two dozen guys calling each other in the woods. I was taught that noisy isn't necessarily better. We had good luck with with a couple of squawking cow calls in a field near dusk, then came back before daylight the next day. A 6 by 6 bull probably was out there overnight sniffing around. Two different guys in our party saw him and fired almost simultaneously.

Breaking that down. Forget trying to move something towards yourself in the trees. Be suspicious of every call in the trees. There isn't an elk herd out there that makes so many calls. (My opinion is based on my personal observations.) Give a single or simple cow call in an unexpected place to lure Lothario out into a shooting situation. Have a plan that uses time not volume.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
In my limited Saskatchewan forest fringe elk hunting experience, we heard two dozen guys calling each other in the woods. I was taught that noisy isn't necessarily better. We had good luck with with a couple of squawking cow calls in a field near dusk, then came back before daylight the next day. A 6 by 6 bull probably was out there overnight sniffing around. Two different guys in our party saw him and fired almost simultaneously.

Breaking that down. Forget trying to move something towards yourself in the trees. Be suspicious of every call in the trees. There isn't an elk herd out there that makes so many calls. (My opinion is based on my personal observations.) Give a single or simple cow call in an unexpected place to lure Lothario out into a shooting situation. Have a plan that uses time not volume.
Click to expand...

Hey, I actually bugled up an outfitter and his american hunter once, they were NOT amused. :) Lot's of competition out there these days and the elk get suspicious very quickly.

Grizz
 
My suggestion is to find elk and learn their pattern before trying to blind call. So many people call as an opening move and the elk know it.

When you know where they are, why/when, etc and you get your timing right it doesn't take a perfect sound to coax them in a little ways.
 
Big Jon said:
My suggestion is to find elk and learn their pattern before trying to blind call. So many people call as an opening move and the elk know it.

When you know where they are, why/when, etc and you get your timing right it doesn't take a perfect sound to coax them in a little ways.
Click to expand...

This is correct best advice.....my motto is 3 days of scouting and 1 hour of hunting.
 
Second year of archery elk just came to a close for me. What I've learned about calling is that it lets them know where you are. If you are immobile like I was (tree stand) you better make sure they can't sneak down wind and make you out. It happened to me twice now. Have to set up so you can get a shot if they try and wind you. That or keep quite and wait.
 
Have had some success at calling bulls but not an expert on it but can tell you more what "not to do in Saskatchewan"....don't go down to the Saskatoon zoo early September and "practice calling bulls" near the elk paddock.... my cousin did that 25 yrs ago, I think his picture is still at the entrance gate "don't let this ba#$rd in under any circumstances.
 
Got a nice spike in Archery this year by Hudson Bay, spikers are usually less cautioys and curious, and I am sure they spend their days trying to figure why their mother left them behind.

Patience is the key, IF you call expect that Elk can hear you, (if there is sign in that area).

They may bugle loudly IF larger bull or light whistling bugling if a smaller bull. OR more often than not they will sneak in on you.

I usually use bugle sparingly in early season but in rifle bugling can be very effective.

As with any animal it isn't how you good you call ...it is knowing which call to use at the right time.

Bugle aggressivly with chuckles and your bound to scare all but the biggest elk into the next zone....but a light wimpy bugle in conjuction with some hyper estrus calls might convince a mature bull your a spike harrassing a cow.

Good luck!
 
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